Lifeboat launching apparatus



Sept. 15, 1936. J HYLAND 2,054,726

LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING APPARATUS Filed March 12, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 15, 1936. v J HYLAND 2,054,726

' LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING APPARATUS 7 Filed March 12, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 15, 1936. J H L D 2,054,726

LIFEBOAT LAUNCH ING APPARATUS Filed March 12, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 2| to the shaft 34. The shaft is provided with an arm 36 for turning the same and which arm may be received in an opening 3'! formed within a resilient latch 38, extending upwardly from the bottom of the life boat 3 as a means of holding the shaft 34 in a fixed position and to secure the lines 2| thereto.

When the life boat is in stored position on the deck of a ship, it is desirable to secure the same in a rigid position, and for this purpose lines 39 and 40 each have one end fixed to the deck I. The line 39 has a loop 4| therein, through which the line 40 extends. secured thereto and extends into an orifice in a projecting end portion of the screw'l5'. In this Way, when the screw has been turned to draw the life boat into a stored position, the pin 42 is inserted into the end thereof to hold the cover 4 and the frame connected therewith securely down to the deck of the ship. Any further turn ing movement of the screw I5 will tighten the lines 39 and 40 and increase this holding action.

As a further means of holding the mechanism securely down on the deck, chock lines 43 are connected with the life boat and extend upwardly to the frame l2.

To hold the cables 2| close to the side of the ship when launching the life boat, links 44 receive the lines 2| at one end, and at the opposite end receive-guide cables 45, which extend upwardly beside and fixed to the frame I2, as shown particularly in Fig. 1. This serves to effectivelyhold the life boat in a position close to the side of the ship until the passengers have been loaded therein. Y

In the operation of the apparatus, the life boat 3 is normally in the position shown in full lines in Fig. '1, where it is stored on the deck of a ship and is supported by the projections 8 of the davits 5.- To launch the life boat, the handle I9 is first turned in order to rotate the screw l5 and feed the sleeve l4 and frame l2 outward; The first turn of the screw l5 moves the pin 42 to an upright position, where it drops out of its hole by gravity in order to release the lines 39 and 40. Further rotation of the screw l5 causes the frame l2 to bemovedoutward to the dotted line position in Fig. 1, which swings the davits 5 upward about their pivots 6, until the frame 12 rests on the edge of the deck I.

The hand-wheel 30 is then turned to rotate the shaft 23 through the bevel gears 28 and 29, the shaft 21; the pinions 26, and the gears 24 and 25, which permits the cables 2| to unwind from the shaft 23 and lower the life boat. As the life boat is lowered from its uppermost position, the links 44 follow downward with it as far as permitted by the guide cables 45 to hold the life boat close to the deck 'of the ship.

As the life boat reaches the surface of the water, it is desired to cast off the cables 2|, and to do this it is only necessary to release the arm 36 from its resilient catch 38 and turn the shaft 34 to turn the pin 3| in an upright direction, which permits the loops 32 to be released therefrom to cast off the lifeboat from these cables.

The reverse of this operation serves to connect the life boat and raise the same to a stored position on the deck of the ship.

It is possible with this invention to carry the life boat outside the deck, where it will be just as well protected as when on the deck, and it may be lowered immediately. This leaves the deck clear for the passengers.

I claim:

The line 40 has a pin 42.

1. In life boat launching apparatus, the combination of a supporting frame, means for supporting a life boat therefrom, one or more approximately L shaped davits pivotally supporting the frame, brackets pivotally connected with one arm of each of the L-shaped davits for supporting the same, and a heel connected with each of the davits at the angle thereof for supporting the main portion of the davit when in retracted position. I

2. In life boat launching apparatus, the combination of a supporting frame, a shaft carried thereby, one or more approximately L shaped davits having one arm thereof connected with the shaft for pivotally securing the same to the frame and for supporting the frame on the davits, brackets pivotally secured to the other arms of the L shaped davits, and a heel formed on each of the davits at the angle thereof for supporting the same in retracted position.

3. In life boat launching apparatus, the combination of a supporting frame, a shaft carried thereby, one or more approximately L shaped davits having one arm thereof connected with the shaft for pivotally securing the same to the frame and for supporting the frame on the davits, brackets pivotally secured to the other arms of the L shaped davits, a heel formed on each of the davits at the angle thereof for supporting the same in retracted position, approximately V shaped guide members carried by the frame, cables extending over said guide members for supporting a life boat from the frame. and gearing controlling the action of the cables.

4. In life boat launching apparatus, the combination of a supporting frame, a shaft carried thereby, one or more approximately L shaped davits having one armthereof connected with the shaft for pivotally securing the same to the frame and for supporting the frame on the davits, brackets pivotally secured to the other arms of the L shaped davits, a heel formed on each of the davits at the angle thereof for supporting the same in retracted position, approximately V shaped guide members carried by the frame, cables extending over said guide members for supporting a life boat from the frame, gearing controlling the action of the cables, an internally threaded sleeve carried by the frame, a screw threaded through said sleeve, means for fixing an end of said screw, and means for turning the screw to cause lateral swinging movement of the sleeve and frame.

5. In life boat launching apparatus, the combination of asupporting frame, a shaft carried thereby, one or more approximately L shaped davits having one arm thereof connected with the shaft for pivotally securing the same to the frame and for supporting the frame on the davits, brackets pivotally secured to the other arms of the L shaped davits, a heel formed on each of the davits at the angle thereof for supporting the same in retracted position, an internally threaded sleeve fixed to the frame, a screw threaded through said sleeve, means for fixing an end of said screw, and means for rotating the screw for causing lateral swinging movement of the frame.

6. In life boat launching apparatus, the combination of a frame, one or more davits pivotally connected therewith -and for supporting the frame, a pivotal support for the davits, means connected with the frame for swinging the same outward on the davits, an approximately V shaped guide, atleast two cables extending over the guide at opposite sides of the V shaped porally supporting said frame, means for causinglateral swinging movement of the frame on the davits, an approximately V shaped guide carried by the frame, cables extending over opposite sides of the V shaped guide for supporting the life boat, a shaft about which said cables are wound, a main drive shaft, gearing connecting the firstmentioned shaft with the main drive shaft, and bevel gearing for driving said main drive shaft.

8. In life boat launching apparatus, the combination of a frame for supporting the life boat, a shaft mounted in the frame and having an orifice therein, and a cable having the lower end thereof fixed and carrying a pin at the upper end to extend into the orifice in the shaft, to hold the frame and life boat securely in a stored position.

9. In life boat launching apparatus, the combination of a davit for supporting a life boat in stored position, a shaft carried by the davit and having an orifice therein, one or more lines having the lower ends thereof fixed, and a pin connected with the upper ends of the lines and adapted to extend into the orifice for securely holding the life boat in a stored position.

10. In life boat launching apparatus, the combination of a davit, a frame carried by the davit and having means for supporting a life boat, a cover for the life boat and carried by the frame, a shaft connected with the frame and having an orifice therein, a plurality of lines having the lower ends thereof fixed and having their upper ends connected together, and a pin connected with said upper ends and slidably extending into the orifice to anchor the life boat in a secure position.

11. In a life boat, the combination of a shaft having a notch formed therein and a pin fixed to a side thereof within the notch and adapted to receive a supporting line, a casing within which said pin is mounted to prevent the release of the line therefrom when turned to a downward position, and means for turning the shaft.

12. In a life boat, the combination of a shaft having a notch formed therein and extending approximately to the center of the shaft, and a pin fixed to the inner side of the notch for receiving a supporting line, said pin extending laterally from a point approximately beside the center of the shaft, and a casing about said notch and pin.

13. In life boat launching apparatus, the combination of fixed supporting structure, movable frame structure, means supporting said movable frame structure on the fixed supporting structure for movement between a retracted position and a forward life boat launching position, means for holding the movable frame structure substantially horizontal during said movement, a rigid life boat cover permanently secured to the movable frame structure in position to overlie the life boat, means carried by the movable frame structure for supporting the life boat beneath the cover and for lowering the life boat away from the cover without removal of the cover, a shaft rotatably associated with the cover and having an orifice therein, one or more lines having the lower ends thereof fixed, and a pin connected with the upper ends of the lines and removably inserted into the orifice for securely holding the life boat in a stored position.

JOHN L. HYLAND. 

